Pet Punter

Archive for August, 2011

While there are now over 700 different varieties of mice, the number of fancy rat mutations is much lower, totaling less than 30. In most cases, the choice of colors available in most pet stores is small, so if you are seeking out some of the more unusual colors, you will usually need to contact a breeder.

Breeds of rat that are furthest removed from the natural agouti form are the most popular. The most widely kept variety of rat is the albino form, sometimes called the white, which is distinguished by its pink eyes. Its lack of color pigment also accounts for its pink ears and tail. Most of the new rat varieties have direct counterparts in the mouse fancy, with the exception of the mink. This at is coffee colored, with a bluish sheen to its coat. Darker colors include the chocolate, which should be an even dark shade, as well as the black, which must also be pure in color with no odd white hairs visible in its coat. In addition, there are other self varieties with pink eyes and a rosy hue – including the champagne, which is beige. The patterned color variants include the hooded, which has a colored area over its head and shoulders, extending down the back to the base of the tail. In the case of the capped form, there is no darker streak running back down the spine, and the remainder of the fur is white. There is no long-coated form, although there is a rex mutation which has distinctive curled fur and whiskers.

There are both shelf and patterned varieties of fancy mice. One of the most striking is the self red, which is a rich shade of chestnut. Its coloration is improved by the addition of a satin mutation, which gives a glossy sheen to the coat. The eyes are black, but some varieties, such as white and cream, exit in both pink-eyed and black-eyed forms. Evenness of color through the coat is an essential attribute for self-colored mice of all varieties. Tan varieties are instantly recognizable by their appearance. Their under parts are tan-colored, while the remainder of the body is a contrasting shade. The feet should match the body color on the outside and be tan-colored on the inside. Nor is it just dark shades such as black and tan that are regularly seen. Lighter variants, too, such as silver and tan, are quite commonly bred. Mice showing various other markings are also widely kept today. These include Himalayans, with dark pints and the Dutch, which has a similar pattern to that of the corresponding guinea pig or rabbit breeds. The feature of the long-coated and rex variants can be combined with any color form or patterning. The scope here is truly enormous and some fascinating specimens can be seen at the larger mice shows.

However hardy your cat is, it runs the risk of being struck down by a killer virus infection unless it is inoculated and boasted on a regular basis. Suppose a cat contracts one of the diseases for which preventative vaccines are available, it is very serious, for there is no treatment that can be guaranteed to save it. The duty of a vet is to treat the symptoms and control the suffering of your cat so that your pet’s natural immunity will fight the illness.

Inoculations: In the first few days of its life, a kitten’s resistance is boosters by the antibody-rich colostrums that are the mother’s first milk. Although this is replaced by normal milk after the first few days, antibodies are also contained in it as long as the kittens are feeding; the mother’s immunity will pass down to them through the milk. As soon as weaning starts, this natural protection diminishes. From now on, immunity has to be built up actively by the kitten and will no longer be acquired passively from the queen. Active immunity can be built up by exposure to infections or, more safely and securely, by inoculations. Taking your cat to the vet to be inoculated is a vital part of routine care. You can give inoculations at 9-12 weeks; the kitten is then kept in for two weeks to prevent exposure to infection while the acquired immunity, from the vaccine becomes effective. Inoculations subsequently need to be boosted every year. Some kittens or adult cats may feel a little under par for some of the days after first inoculations or the annual booster, but it is rare for there to be any major problems.

Freedom From Worry: Over the past 30 years, many steps have to taken for the reason of curing feline ailments. There are some specific diseases that are used for posing the greatest risk to pedigreed and non-pedigreed felines alike are not a problem if the regular, recommended inoculation programs are followed.

Which Inoculations?  Recommendations regarding vaccinations will differ from one country to another country. Those against Chlamydia, feline infectious peritonitis and feline leukemia virus are often considered necessary only for cats likely to be exposed to risk in the outside world. However, bear in mind that your cat could escape and come into contact with one of the diseases you decided not to inoculate against. Take your vet’s advice.

The Killers: The severe infections are supposed to be cat flu, which encompasses viruses of two that affects the cat’s upper respiratory tract; Chlamydia; and feline leukemia virus. Rabies should be added to the list in countries where the disease is known to exist. Although these are not the only virus to affect the cat, there are the viral conditions that have wrought havoc in the past among domestic cats. For treating the leukemia virus, a vaccine is also available recently. As yet, where rabies are not existing the vaccine can be administrated by authorized vets to cats which can be going to another country where the disease exists.

Looking after your hamster correctly involves providing it with adequate food and shelter. These basics will ensure that it stays healthy and happy throughout its life.

Hamster Cages: Although the traditional hamster cage is still a popular option, other more inventive housing system are now available. If you opt for a cage, check that the base fits securely to the mesh roof area. Should there be any weakness here, the hammer is likely to find a gap and escape into the room. This applies especially in the case of young Russian hamsters, since cages on the market are generally intended for the larger Syrian species. Another important aspect of cage design to consider is the strength of the door. It will be easier to take your hamster out of its quarters if the door is on the side of the cage, rather than in the roof. Door hinges have a tendency to become weaker over time, so it is a good idea to invest in a small combination [padlock as an extra security precaution.

A cage should have a sleeping area. Make sure the bedding is safe hamster bedding, which will cause a potentially fatal blockage in the rodent’s intestinal tracts if swallowed. You can buy bedding at a pet store. Tease it out by hand, so that the hamster on human can burrow into it easily. Another option is sectional housing, which mimics the layout of a hamster’s burrow in the wild and has specially designed tunnel systems with enlarged nest area. It is a good idea to begin with a basic starter kit, and then add inexpensive extra sections. You can create an entire housing system this way, with the water bottle fitting into the design. Such system provide a more secure environment for a hamster than a cage, but you should still check regularly to see that the rodent is not nibbling at the plastic at any point, through which it might attempt to escape. It is mandatory to check the door fastening is secure in a typical hamster cage, because if a hamster escapes into the room, recapturing it is likely to prove very difficult.

Dogs are prone to both internal and external parasite infestations. There are two common worms in dogs: the tapeworm and the roundworm.

Tapeworms: Tapeworms may affect dogs at any age,although they are less common in young puppies than in older dogs. The tapeworm has a life cycle that depends on two different host species, in the case of the most frequently seen worm, the dog and the dog’s fleas although in another species they are transmitted through sheep. Tapeworms may be recognizable as “rice grains” in the faeces, but the dog may  give you an indication by undue attention to its anal region. Control of the tapeworm in the dog is simple; modern treatments are straightforward, requiring no fasting before dosing and highly effective, with very little in the way of side-effects. It is a good idea to treat your dog routinely against tapeworms every six months. However, prevention of re-infection depends on control of the flea population in your house.

Roundworms: Roundworms are practically universal in puppies. They may be transmitted directly from dog to dog by faecal contamination, which is almost impossible to avoid. A high proportion of puppies are actually born infected with round worms, transmitted via the uterus of the mother. Worms that had lain dormant in the tissues of the dam are activated by the hormones produced during pregnancy, circulate in the mother’s bloodstream and pass into the unborn pups. There are control regimes that depend on using a safe anthelmintic early in pregnancy to destroy the maternal worm load, but this treatment is by no means universal. A proper rearing regime will include dosing the litter when it is three or four weeks old and perhaps again before leaving the kennels. Once in your home the puppy should be treated regularly, according to your veterinary surgeon’s advice, every three or four weeks until it is six months old. Adult dogs build up a level of immunity to the effects of roundworm infestations, and after six months do not need such regular treatment. Keep a constant look-out, although roundworms are not always easy to detect in a dog’s faeces.

Worm Treatments: There are drug treatments that are effective against tapeworms and roundworms in one dose. One possibility is to give older dogs this type of treatment once every six months. The ascarid roundworm may be the cause of a very rare eye condition in children. If the dog is regularly wormed, the risk, already remote, is eliminated. With this exception, the worms of dogs and of humans are not transmissible. Other species of worms, including the hookworm, may occur in dogs. Treatment is not difficult, but diagnosis may not be straightforward. Consult your veterinary surgeon. In the United States, heartworm is a common problem. A preventive medicine is given orally; treatment can be costly, and dangerous for the dog.

A collar is not necessarily merely pleasing to the eye. But the tags are mainly used for attaching it so that the cat can be identified if it gets lost or injured. An identity tag may be a simple engraved dise which will contain a paper with the cat’s name, address and contact details of the pet owners and sometimes the vet’s emergency number. Magnetic tags that allow your cat exclusive entry to its cat flap can also be fitted on collars.

Most collars come with a bell, which rings when the cat moves and will reduce the death toll among common birds. An anti-flea substance is found in some of the collars so you should be very careful while using the collars for your cat because it will result in an allergic reaction. Signs of irritation around the necks or eyes are the main indications of allergy. Even though there is a wide form of flea control, you should make sure that you are not connecting or combining it with any flea collars.

By using the collars for a cat, it will affect the fur which is found around the neck of the dog. This can be unsightly and is considered unacceptable by many exhibitors, although most show judges realize the reason for marks around the neck; they will penalize the cat. Secondly, there is always the fear that the collar can become caught when the cat is hunting in trees or scrubs. However, if it is made of soft leather, suede or soft fabric and has an elasticized insert, this will stretch if the collar catches and the cat will be able to free itself.

Many of the common diseases that affect fish can be traced back to poor water quality, which leaves them vulnerable to developing infections. Recently acquired fish are the most at risk, particularly if they have suffered any damage to their scales or fins during the moves, as this will make it easier for fungi and other harmful microbes to penetrate the body. Since it is possible to introduce diseases into the established aquarium when new fish are added, it is worthwhile using an isolation tank for a couple of weeks to check the new arrivals are in good health and feeding well. Many of the formulated fish foods now available contain Vitamin C, and this may help to boost the immune system of the fish at this stage. An isolation tank can be converted easily into a treatment tank, should a fish fall ill. A sick fish should be removed at the earliest opportunity from the main aquarium to avoid infecting the others and to improve its chances for recovery. Signs of illness will vary according to the specific condition but loss of color and appetite are typical, along with a difficulty in swimming.

In the case of many parasitic diseases there may be obvious signs. Fish leeches and anchor worms stick to the fish’s body, often causing irritation so that the fish rubs against rockwork. They should not be pulled off directly from the body because this increases the likelihood that the resulting wound will be infected by fungus. These particular parasites are especially common in coldwater fish.

The parasite commonly known as white spot or “ich” can strike any fish and spreads very rapidly within an aquarium, thanks to the fact that each individual white spot can contain thousands of the microscopic tomites which are released into the water of the aquarium or pond. These are the intermediate stage in the life-cycle, so removing a fish at this stage should lessen the likelihood of the infection spreading. Treatments can be used to kill off the free-swimming stage in the life-cycle before the tomites are able to bore into the fish’s body. A similar parasite encountered in marine fish is Oodinium, which causes velvet disease. Outbreaks are often precipitated in this case by a high level of nitrite in the aquarium. If left untreated, the fish will become weak and succumb to fungus, particularly in the case of freshwater species, with the fungal spores being ever-present in the water. Under normal circumstances, the fish will have sufficient resistance to fight the infection, but beware of those which may have suffered fin damage – for example, coldwater fish in ponds outdoors – for their immune system will not function as well during spells of cold water.